Mahbubnagar: Red gram farmers block NH seeking hike in Minimum Support Price, procurement

Mahbubnagar: The red gram farmers staged a protest on the highway at Ambedkar crossroads in Kodangal mandal on Thursday and demanded the State and Central governments to provide Minimum Support Price to at least 5 quintals per acre and help them recover their investment. The opposition parties and Osmania University Joint Action Committee (JAC) also supported the farmers protest and blocked the National Highway causing inconvenience to the commuters.

After learning about the unexpected protest by the farmers and the OUJAC leaders, the Kodangal police tried to pacify the farmers and JAC members. However, with the protesting crowds not heeding to the police request, they were later arrested and sent to Kodangal police station.

Speaking on the occasion, a protesting farmer said that the State and the Central governments were limiting the procurement of red gram to only up to 2.5 quintals per acre and providing a very low MSP. The farmers demanded that the government should increase the procurement limit to at least 5-6 quintals per acre and increase the MSP.

"The farmers must hold a peaceful protest and should not cause any inconvenience to the traffic or commuters on the roads. With some JAC leaders entering the protest and trying to make it violent, we have arrested them for staging protest on the highway without any permission," said Kodangal Circle inspector (CI) Nageswara Rao.

Earlier in Wanaparthy, Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy had promised to the red gram farmers that they have written to the Central government seeking increase in procurement limit. However, the Minister said that currently the Markfed officials will continue to procure with the set limit and when the Central government increases the enhancement limit then the other farmers can also sell their produce as per the directions, until then the farmers must have patience and should not resort to any violent protests that cause inconvenience to others.